Connecticut Food & Farm Magazine, Fall 2019, Volume 18 by Connecticut Food and Farm

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CAPTURE CREATIVE CONNECTICUT FOOD AND FARM

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR THE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRIES

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WINTER CAPLANSON AT HENNY PENNY FARM CTFOODANDFARM.COM

in this issue

6 24 46 66 80 98 118

MASTERING SHORTBREAD

KELLY CLEMENT

THE BUTTER MOOVEMENT

DIANA BUSQUE

BLACKKAT LEATHER

MARILYNN TURNER

SOUR TO YOUR TASTE

GENA GOLAS

FARM, BARN, AND ESTATE SALES

WINTER CAPLANSON

FRUIT SCRAP VINEGARS

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MARILYNN S TURNER

OH, THE GOAT LIFE!

JENNIFER LAVOIE

WINTER CAPLANSON PHOTO

FALL 2019 | VOLUME 18

136 148 162 172 182 196 206

STORMING AREA TWO

KAYLA HEDMAN

MAKING WINE IN HARTFORDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S OWN BACKYARD

MAUREEN MACDONALD

THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN MILKMAN

AMY S. WHITE

HOMEMADE HERBAL SALTS

CHEF CARLOS PEREZ

SIPPING AUTUMN: MULLED WINE

RANDI BAYNE

THE ART OF HOOKED RUGS

LAURA MOOREHEAD

THE WINDOWSILL HERB GARDEN

ERICA BUEHLER

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Oh,

the

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Goat

Life!

by JENNIFER LAVOIE BRENDA DE LOS SANTOS photos

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As children we are often told to stop daydreaming and stay focused, but for Anneliese Dadras, a childhood dream of owning her own herd of goats came to fruition when she and her husband bought historic Bradley Mountain Farm in Southington, CT. The farm currently has a herd of 28 goats, consisting of LaMancha, MiniLaMancha, and Nigerian Dwarf breeds. The decision to buy the farm was spurred on by

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a two-day “goat school” in Maine that Annaliese treated herself to as a birthday gift. She blissfully thought she’d be petting goats all weekend, or maybe milking a goat or two. It turned out that Goat School was a reality check for Annaliese, who learned how to run a herd. “Despite myself, I learned

how to castrate, give medicine and how to clip hooves.” After goat school she asked herself, “Are you really going to try to do that thing you wanted to do since 7th grade?” The answer was yes. Annaliese radiates warmth and energy when you meet her. She draws you into

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are you really going to try to do that th 10

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her dream and she genuinely wants you to fall as much in love with her goats as she has. She started with two goats, then seven; those seven became pregnant and Annaliese realized she’d “better start looking for a farm really quick before the town starts asking questions.” A Southington native, Annaliese said she looked for a farm in town where “people felt they could just stop in and check it out.” Karen Cirincione, a Southington resident that I met on our goat walk, did just that. She said she hadn’t been to a farm since she was a kid and wanted to see what a working farm was like. Karen and I were paired up with “Sprite” – an in-charge female goat who had recently been bumped from the role of matriarch to second-in-command by a goat aptly named “Diva.”

hing you wanted to do since 7th grade?” CTFOODANDFARM.COM

Our guided farm walk with Sprite wrapped lazily around the bucolic Bradley Mountain Farm, with stops to learn what the goats like to eat and just generally getting to know our goat’s personality. We learned that the Sassafras root, used as a flavoring in root beer, is a delicacy for the goats. We used our shepherd hooks to grab tree branches, bringing them down for the goats to eat the succulent leaves. We learned how to keep our goats moving along with a goat call of “goateee” – a sort of yodeling, starting out low then ending the call with gusto and spirit to signal to our goats that it was time to move on. Our walk culminated at the shore of Crescent Lake, a designated Open Space area. It

“Fairy goat mothers schedule play dates where they can groom, dress up, cuddle, or walk their favorite goat.” was at the edge of this beautiful lake that our guide took our picture with Sprite, who was an old pro at photo shoot time. “There is a passion for what I do and the crux of it all is sharing that passion with people,” Annaliese explained. That entails listening to their customers and getting feedback at events. The farm will try an activity at least three

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times, she says, and “If a buzz starts, then we know it’s popular and it’s what people want.” In addition, the farm often partners with local artisans, art studios, yoga studios, restaurants and the Town of Southington to share what’s going on at the farm. The innovation and flexibility to try something new - and the wisdom to know when it doesn’t work - allows the farm to grow and thrive. “Putting your ego aside,” explains Anneliese, “is key.” Besides local residents, visitors come from all over Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and Annaliese said she is truly humbled by that. As a visitor to the farm you can’t help but become part of the fabric of it. Becoming a Goat Nanny is one of the programs offered that brings the experience to a totally

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“...what got me excited was the possibility of being a part of people’s lives and a part of a community that would love the herd as much as we do. That’s the miracle that happened.” new level. Bradley Goat Farm currently has 62 Goat Nannies. The nannies come every Wednesday and help take care of the goats by giving medicine, clipping hooves, clicker training, and generally tending to their needs. The nannies become accustomed to the rhythm of the herd and often have a favorite goat that they just want to spend time with. Some folks get so attached to a particular goat that they become fairy goat mothers. Fairy goat mothers schedule play dates where they can groom, dress up, cuddle, or walk their favorite goat. All of the farm’s programs are scheduled with forethought, with lots of work happening behind the scenes to keep activities safe and well-run. A very popular activity is Goats N’ Pajamas. Annaliese explained that people kept sending her Facebook

pictures of goats dressed up in pajamas and she thought this was absolutely adorable. “I’m an ex-Barbie girl and I used to dress up Barbies, and now I have 28 goats to dress up. It seemed like something fun for other people and it’s a way that you can relate what you know and what you love about your product to people in a safe way.”

which visitors can spend some time in the pen with the goats, becoming part of the herd, or what Anneliese calls the “tribe”. Anneliese describes the goat tribe as the best of reality TV. “You get to see the dynamics of the herd, finding out who’s the diva, who sides with who in an argument and about general goat life. A sort of ‘Real World’ for goats!”

The farm also offers outdoor Goat Yoga in a Zen-like grassy area near the house. The goats are clicker-trained and very tame. Annaliese said that the goats think the humans are just play gyms and will jump and frolic among the yoga students. Sprite is a favorite; she reportedly gives a bit of a massage while yoga students are in their favorite poses.

In addition to all the activities, the nearby Apple Valley 4-H Club is very robust and active, working almost daily on the farm, learning to take care of the goats, grooming and preparing for 4-H fairs, and participating in local events. Private events are available and include Plan Your Farm events, birthday parties, private sessions, farm rentals, weddings, Goats on the Go landscaping rentals and Go-ating Corporate workplace visits.

The farm also offers Goat Cuddle Therapy, during

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Every Sunday is Open Farm Day where folks can see what’s happening at the farm. Open Farm Day runs from late April to mid-October (10a.m. to 3p.m.) and admission is free. Stop into the shop to find soap, candles, goods from local artisans (such as hats, mittens, chicken hats, felted wool goats, etc.), VanGoat art and more. The farm also offers soap-making workshops throughout the year. The childhood dream of a 12-year old girl can lead to real decisions, innovation and passion. “We bought the farm never wanting to just hoard it for ourselves,” Annaliese explains. “We thought kids will be running around, people will have birthday parties here and will have memories of us. We will have memories of them and what got me excited was the possibility of being a part of people’s lives and a part of a community that would love the herd as much as we do. That’s the miracle that happened.”

BRADLEY MOUNTAIN FARM

537 Shuttle Meadow Road, Southington, CT 06489, US (860) 385-GOAT facebook.com/bradleymountainfarm

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“...being a part of people’s lives and a part of a community that would love the herd as much as we do. That’s the miracle that happened.”

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goat hikes

At Bradley Mountain Farm you can choose to take a low impact, easy paced Goat Walk and Farm Tour or if you favor a bit more exercise you can take a Goat Hike and Nature Tour along the Green Trail at Crescent Lake. Both activities are recommended for ages 3 and up and are approximately 2 ½ hours long. The cost for either is $30. Wear comfortable clothes and good sturdy shoes. It can get a bit buggy by the lake, so plan on using some bug spray. A light backpack will be handy to carry water and your phone or camera. You’ll want to take pictures, and the staff at Bradley Mountain Farm are at the ready to snap some photos of you with your goat. Never hung out with goats and not sure what to expect? The staff are extremely knowledgeable and will give you clear instructions on what to expect and how to handle your goat. The goats are tame and affectionate – a good rub along the belly or behind the ears is much enjoyed! They are very cooperative and seem to want to please. The farm supplies you with goat food you can use to entice your goat to follow your lead. Before you know it you are one with the goat. Scheduled goat walks and goat hikes are offered throughout the year and private parties can also be scheduled. To check out the available dates please go to the Bradley Mountain Farm website and click on activities. To schedule a private session for up to 5 guests click here. You can also call (860) 385-GOAT or drop them an email here.

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t i Fru scrap

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v i ne

ga r s

by Marilynn S. Turner Lisa Nichols photos

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Fruit scraps may seem like the most humble sort of byproduct in the cooking process, but they’re actually the start of something magical - like the rich goodness of a pear vinegar caramel. “When you improvise with what’s available, adapt and connect with seasonality, you have something about your food that is personal and tells a story,” explains Chef Matthew Wick, of Atticus Bookstore Cafe in New Haven. As a chef, Wick realized there is often unintended waste during food preparation, which ultimately led to his interest in fruit scrap vinegar.

“Using fruit scraps is a good way to prevent waste and use every part of the fruit,” he adds. “It’s just water, fruit, and a little added sugar,” Wick says. “You’re naturally creating alcohol and making cider, and through exposure to the air, it creates an acidic bacteria, which creates a mother and converts alcohol to vinegar. I thought it was really cool, and it answers a question we often have in kitchens, what do we do with waste, and can we create another product out of it?” It actually started with a pear salad: “I was thinking that we have all this pear scrap that we’re going to throw away. So one day I just reduced it with sugar and made a pear vinegar caramel and sweet and sour caramel, and it all came full circle.”

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Wick is a man with a passion for food, and that translates to his excitement about making something out of almost nothing. When cooks begin thinking of how kitchen scraps can be transformed, the possibilities are endless. “One of the most exciting things about this is creating something new out of something you would normally throw away. You can do it with anything. You can make it with whole fruit, but it’s a good way to use up fruit by using apple peels and cores to make vinegar.” If you do it the old-school way, Wick says, it takes about a month or two to make the vinegar depending upon what your end result is going to be. He added that you also have to take into consideration factors such as environment and the temperature, which affect the length of the process. The first part of the fermentation takes a week to two weeks; once you start to see activity and bubbles, it’s time to strain the fruit out. According to Wick, when making vinegar at home, it’s best to use one half-gallon Mason jar. You’ll need a pound of fresh fruit or the scraps, and add 1/3 cup of sugar per pound of fruit. (The sugar gives a little more insurance that it will be active and a yeast that will convert to alcohol and kick-start the fermentation). Add enough water to cover the fruit, and - if you like - you can use a vinegar starter or mother at a ½ cup ratio. The starter’s optional, though: it will create a more acidic finished product and accelerate it. “I just use water, sugar, and fruit scraps,” Wick explains. Although the process is long and can take a month or more for completion, it’s well worth the wait:

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"I just use water, sugar, and fruit scraps" WEEK ONE: Stir the mixture once a day for one week at room temperature. After a week, the natural yeast will ferment into alcohol. WEEK TWO: On the second week you stir the mixture occasionally, and make sure it’s lightly bubbling. After week two, strain out and discard the solids, clean the jar and add the liquid back in. Wick says this is the second fermentation, where the alcohol turns into vinegar. WEEK THREE FORWARD: Let it go for about four weeks, checking it occasionally and tasting for acidity. It may take up take three months, he said. During this time you will see a mother forming, and there may be a white bloom on the surface of the liquid, which should be removed. He said the process is very similar to making kombucha. “You can pretty much make vinegar with any fruit or vegetable, and it works beautifully with strawberries,” he said. Crabapples or any sort of windfall fruit will work, including seconds. It’s a good way to use fruit that’s past its prime or would otherwise go to waste. “You could even barrel-age it like wine,” Wick adds.

What you’ll need to make your own fruit scrap vinegar: CTFOODANDFARM.COM

“The vinegar can be used on almost anything. Make a vinaigrette, pickle other fruit or vegetables in it, reduce it with sugar and make a syrup (perfect for ice cream or strawberry shortcake), or make a shrub - a drink made by mixing the vinegar with carbonated water. Making vinegar at home with something that you’d normally throw away is a sustainable thing, and its own kind of magic; store it in the refrigerator, and you’ve got your new favorite ingredient. “One of my favorite ways to use fruit vinegar is to reduce it with sugar. You can also add salt and use it for a savory application, or keep it sweet and sour and use in a dessert or cocktail. Wick also mentioned braising a duck breast or roasting turnips tossed in a pear vinegar caramel. As a chef, I get excited about having something in my arsenal that’s very personal. And vinegar, with all that fermentation, is a special project. I always want to know how my food can have more flavor. Fruit scrap vinegar is borne of necessity and creativity, and that’s something I really value. It’s what excites me about cooking.”

• A ½ gallon mason jar • Cheesecloth • A big spoon • 1 pound of fruit • 1/3 cup of sugar • Enough water to cover the fruit Follow the instructions above, be patient and enjoy your fruit scrap vinegar.

Apple Galette WITH APPLE VINEGAR CARAMEL

Use apple scrap vinegar to make the Apple Galette with Apple Vinegar Caramel Chef Matthew Wick serves at Atticus Bookstore Cafe in New Haven:

Galette Recipe

Give yourself plenty of time to prep for galettes. We use a traditional Pate Brisee (or shortcrust) recipe for our pies and galettes. The making of the dough requires ample chilling time, and is best done the night before, but can also be done morning of. For the flour in our crust, we use a varietal of hard white wheat called Sonora. White wheat gets its name from its bran and germ being lighter in color than that of the more commonly used Hard Red Wheat. Sonora has a buttery flavor and goes very well in pies. If you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find Sonora, try Einkorn or Spelt. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found Spelt to be especially well suited for savory applications, like hand pies. Great sources for milled specialty flour include Grist and Toll and Maine Grains.

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galette components INGREDIENTS • Whole Grain Sonora flour - 680 grams or 2.5 cups • Ice Cold Water - 250 g or 1 cup • Unsalted High Quality Butter - 1lb

This will make enough dough for 4 large galettes, or 8 small. You can keep extra dough in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer in an airtight container for weeks. We make all of our galettes and freeze them as finished, ready-to-bake items. They can keep like this for weeks in a Ziplock. Add 5-10 minutes to baking time if you are baking from frozen. PREP Cube your butter into 1 inch chunks and place into the freezer for 10-15 minutes Measure your water and salt and mix together, place in the freezer as well Weigh out your flour and leave it in a bowl in the freezer

Pate Brisee

Dough for Pies, Galettes, Hand Pies.

• 1.5 tsp Salt

Once your ingredients are cold, place the flour on a clean counter and arrange the cubes of butter evenly over it. Sprinkle some flour over the tops of the butter cubes. Gently roll out the butter with a rolling pin until you have long thin streaks of butter mixed with flour. Throughout this process scoop the flour and butter back towards the center of the pile to keep it incorporating. Work quickly to keep ingredients cold. Once all of the butter has been flattened, make a well in the center of the mix and slowly start to add water. Using a bench knife scrape in from each side and fold the mixture in on itself until the water is incorporated. Continue adding water and scraping until all water is incorporated and it comes together as a dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best.

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INGREDIENTS There are a lot of options here and it is a point of cook’s preference. For apples we peel, core and halve them, and then slice ⅛ - ¼ inch thick half-moons. You may want them thicker, or to keep the peels on. Apples can be replaced with other seasonal fruit on hand. Blackberries, peaches, and blueberries all work well.

filling

for 1 medium galette (double for a large)

• Sliced Apples - 1 to 1.5 cups

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• Turbinado Sugar - 1 Tablespoon • Vietnamese Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon • Juice of ½ Lemon PREP Place all of your prepped filling items in a medium bowl and toss them lightly until the fruit is evenly covered. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes before making a galette.

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INGREDIENTS • 1 cup natural apple scrap vinegar or organic apple cider vinegar (Braggs is a good brand)

apple vinegar caramel

• 1 cup sugar • 1 stick cinnamon • 2 cloves • 10 black peppercorns In a small sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium-high and reduce until the bubbles forming at the surface of the liquid begin to grow larger and the mixture begins to thicken. You are not looking for caramel here, but more of a honey consistency. This should take about 8-10 minutes. When the syrup seems nice and viscous, remove from the heat. Strain the syrup into a small glass jar and discard the spices. The syrup will thicken to caramel consistency as it cools. If it seems too thin, even when cooled down, just out back on the stove and reduce some more. You will only need a couple tablespoons to glaze the apple galette, and whatever is leftover will keep in the fridge indefinitely. But it won’t last that long!

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Final Assembly • Egg Wash, equal parts egg and cream • Turbinado Sugar • Apple Vinegar Caramel When you are ready to make your galettes, cut the dough into 4 or 8 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll them each out to ⅛ - ¼ inch thickness. You can cut each piece of dough into clean circles or keep the rough edge square pieces you just rolled out, either way it will be delicious. Place your filling mix in the center of each dough round leaving about inch of dough border from the edge. Neatly fold this border up and over some of the filling. The filling in the center of the galette will still be exposed. This will insure the baking fruit stays in the galette. Refrigerate the finished shaped galettes for 20 minutes while preparing an egg wash of equal parts egg and cream. Brush the chilled galette crust with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 - 45 minutes depending on the size of galette. Add another 10 minutes if you are baking from frozen. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the bottom has formed a stiff foot. Place on a cooling rack and finish the galette with a sprinkle of the apple vinegar caramel over the fruit.

Enjoy!

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scent of autumn “ The first is like coming across a lost album of childhood photographs. ” - Jonathan Hull

WINTER CAPLANSON PHOTO

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Farm,

Barn , Estate Sales: The Greatest Show on Earth BY WINTER CAPLANSON

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you swoon for old stuff, the morning an estate sale opens is better than Christmas. In no time, you’ll be in your glory digging through barns, farmhouse kitchen cupboards, dusty shelves in an old cellar, and shadowy attic eves. In these secret spaces, finds that’ll make your heart skip await, and prices will be sweet. Estate sales are held to liquidate the belongings of a family or estate. Conducted on location, the property is opened to the public. Much larger than tag sales, estate sales, often running two days, are a way to sell contents quickly and completely, due to death or, ever more frequently, downsizing. Travelers Antiques holds estate sales throughout New England, most often at old houses and farms, and their regular buyers follow to find what they are - and maybe even aren’t - looking for. David de Diego has always loved, bought, and sold antiques. He and his wife Stephanie started with an antique shop, but two years ago, decided to close the shop and go full-bore into estate sales. It took off like wildfire. In their first year, Travelers Antiques Estate Sales rose to the top 50 mostviewed companies among the over 10,000 estate liquidators listed at estatesale.com. Buyer attention has remained consistently strong. A born showman, David’s sales are crafted to be fun and exciting, featuring an anticipation-building countdown-to-opening clock, announcements via vintage megaphone, a velvet-roped queue, and - wait for it - glitter cannon at kickoff.

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If you swoon for old stuff, the morning an estate sale opens is better than

Christmas.

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While some estate sale operators specialize in high-end inventory or remain in close vicinity to cities, Travelers revels in rural farmsteads and antiques. With seemingly boundless energy and enthusiasm, David uses social media to share his journeys across New England, grow his audience, and convey information about upcoming sales. On the first day of a sale, usually a Friday, excited buyers arrive early to take a number that determines the order in which they will enter the sale. You might just be going to see the inside of a house you’ve long admired; more likely, you’re after the goods. And you’ll find pretty much anything, from rare antiques to practical things that still have a useful life. Think high-end kitchen knives, cashmere sweaters and designer accessories in your size, or a well-stocked tool chest. Buyers can pore through numerous photos posted ahead of the sale and YouTube walk-through videos providing a glimpse of contents and the layout of the property. This is important because if you have your eye on something, you’re going to need to get directly to it to nab it. The most prized items will be claimed within the first 10 minutes of the sale. “The beginning is crazy, very fast paced,” David warns. The contents of a property will be left how and where Travelers found them. “I try to go through everything to make sure there’s not anything like medicine, or a weapon, or a pile of cash, but then I return everything exactly as it was. It’s more of an experience and treasure hunt that way.”

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...buyers find what they are - and maybe even arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t looking for.

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Buyers may go anywhere except for taped-off areas, so explore everywhere! Collect small items you want in a bag or bin as you work through the property and tag larger items with a “sold” sticker, available at the entrance to the sale, labeled with your name. “I tell people, if you put your sticker on something, be sure you’re going to buy it. Otherwise you’re taking the opportunity away from someone else,” explains David. Build a pile outside that the operator will look over to give you a belowretail price. The more you buy, the better the deal you’re going to get. Missed out on an item you wanted? Have patience; the sale is not complete until money is exchanged. Sometimes a price cannot be agreed upon and an item - or even a picker’s whole pile - goes up for grabs again. It’s copacetic, too, at least with Travelers, for someone to turn a quick profit and sell you something they just bought! “If it’s a really full house, sometimes great things are still getting unearthed the second day. And prices go down as the sale goes on,” says David. Want

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The most prized items will be cl

the firs

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laimed within

st 10 minutes of the sale. CTFOODANDFARM.COM

to buy the contents of an entire room? Yes, you can. “The living room is often a room a buyer will like the setup of and want everything from.” The estate sale world is still relatively small. Regular buyers get to know each other and customers become friends. Kindness and respect rule the day: honor other shoppers’ claims, celebrate their finds, and help them load up. Survival of the nicest is in play, as a good estate sale operator will weed out aggressive or cheating buyers and ask them not to return. What Travelers Antiques wants most is for you to have a great time and embrace the possibility of what you might find at their estate sales. David laughs, “We specialize in antiques, but we sell everything! You might find a hidden Monet painting covered in dust in an attic or a perfectly usable package of sponges under the kitchen sink.”

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Travelers revels in rural fa

and

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Pro Tips: • Ahead of the sale, analyze posted photos and videos to identify the items you most want. • Look for the exact address of an estate sale to be posted 24 hours before it begins. • Having someone come with you contributes another set of eyes and hands to help you get the things you want, and also to help you carry out and load them. • Cash is king but bring a check just in case you need more. Credit cards may be accepted, pending connectivity. • Bring bins or bags to collect small items, gloves to protect your hands from whatever you might be reaching into, a flashlight to help you see into dark spaces, and packing materials in which to wrap breakables for transport. • You enter a property at your own risk; use caution. • Arrive early and take a number. Buyers are let into the sale in that numerical order.

armsteads

d antiques. CTFOODANDFARM.COM

• Take some “sold” stickers from the Travelers table to put on larger items you claim, and add your name to the stickers while you wait to enter the sale. • At a Travelers sale, David will be happy to tell you tell you where the item you’re interested in is located, and how to get there once you enter, so you can make a beeline to it. • HAVE FUN, and go get it!

Follow Travelers Antiques and Estate Sales via estatesale.com, their Facebook, and subscribe to their email notifications on their website.

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SOUR to YOUR

TASTE: Make Your Own

BY GENA GOLAS CARLA MCELROY PHOTOS

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Sauerkraut

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Cabbage, kosher salt, and time. Those are

the only three ingredients you need to make homemade sauerkraut. Jared Clark Levin, Chef at Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre, shares his sauerkraut making technique and recipe - and a belly-warming meal in Jared’s simple-but-delicious style to make with your homemade sauerkraut.

Step One: Prep your work space.

You’ll need a cutting board and a knife, a bowl, a storage jar, and a flatbottomed tool for mashing. That’s it. Seriously. You don’t have to worry about sterilizing your storage jars like you would for canning or wearing gloves on your hands. Any naturally occurring bacteria on your hands, and anything left over after washing your storage container in hot soapy water, will actually be beneficial to the fermentation of your sauerkraut.

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Step Two: Select and prep your cabbage.

Green cabbage works well. An average head of cabbage weighs about two pounds, and two heads of cabbage will yield about one quart of sauerkraut. Like with your work surface in step one, there’s no need to wash the cabbage unless it is noticeably dirty. Take off the tough outer leaves of the cabbage to expose the tender part. Quarter the cabbage and cut out the core in a v-shaped notch. Then, cut the cabbage thin, into quarter-inch slices. Don’t make the slices too thin; the fermentation process will break down the cabbage, and too-thin cuts will yield a mushy product. Transfer the cabbage from your cutting board into a bowl.

Step Three:

Add your seasoning. To keep it simple, kosher salt or unrefined sea salt is the only seasoning you need. Use 3 tablespoons, plus 1 teaspoon per head of cabbage. If you want to add an aromatic, the licorice flavor of caraway seeds or the gin flavor of juniper berries are traditional and warm choices. The salt helps release the oils from the spices, and imparts the flavor into your sauerkraut. After you’ve sprinkled the salt and any other seasoning on your shredded cabbage, use your hands to massage the salt into the cabbage, crushing it with your fingers. By combining the salt with the cabbage in this way, the salt will help release moisture from the cabbage, which is necessary for fermentation.

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“You’ll need a cutting board and a knife, a bowl, a storage jar, and a flat-bottomed tool for mashing. CTFOODANDFARM.COM

That’s it. Seriously.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;After a month, the saltiness of the

cabbage will be balanced

by the sourness of the finished sauerkraut."

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Step Four: Pack your jars.

At this point, the cabbage in the bowl might not look like it has released a lot of moisture. Once you pack the cabbage mixture into something tighter, a mason jar for example, the moisture will be pushed up to the surface. Use a flat-bottomed tool of your choice - the end of a French rolling pin would work well - to get into the jar and pack the cabbage down, releasing moisture that, as you push and turn, will fill the jar to submerge the cabbage. Cover the storage container. A solid lid, like the top and collar of a mason jar, is perfect, or you can cover the container with a length of cheesecloth secured with a rubber band. The container does not need to be airtight. Be sure to label the container with the date the sauerkraut was made. It will be in storage for a while!

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Step Five:

Care for your creation. Keep your sauerkraut in a clean environment with low light and an ambient temperature of 60-68 degrees. Every few days, open the container to release built-up carbon dioxide and check for mold. If you chose cheesecloth as a cover, there is no need to burp the container, just keep an eye out for mold. Some mold growth is expected and beneficial for fermentation; it will sit on the top of the liquid and can be skimmed off with a spoon. Make the sauerkraut sour to your taste, at least one month. After a month, the saltiness of the cabbage will be balanced by the sourness of the finished sauerkraut. At this time, move the container to the refrigerator where it will last for a long time if you let it - but you’ll want to use it throughout the cooler months in dishes like Chef Jared’s mushroom Rueben.

What Makes It Work? The process at work here is lactofermentation, using naturally occurring— and safe—bacteria to ferment food. The bacteria lactobacillus feeds on the natural sugars in the food to break it down to lactic acid, create an acidic environment, and yield the signature sour, tangy flavor. Any harmful bacteria cannot tolerate the high salt content in lacto-fermented food and does not survive; the good lactobacillus then has room to do its job. Foods that have been lacto-fermented have their nutrients and texture preserved and are excellent for your gut. 74

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“Make the sauerkraut sour to your taste,

fermenting at least one month.”

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Heirloomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mushroom Reuben 4 SANDWICHES

With zesty pastrami spices, this sandwich satisfies vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Warm your sauerkraut before assembling the sandwich so all the components heat through evenly in the oven. INGREDIENTS 1 pound mushrooms, preferably maitake and blue oyster 16 slices gruyere, Swiss, Emmentaler, or other Alpine cheese 2 cups sauerkraut 2 cups Russian dressing 8 slices rye bread 3 Tablespoons butter or olive oil 1 cup pastrami spice * Cut mushrooms into even-sized pieces for consistent roasting. Toss mushrooms with olive oil and season well with salt. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove, and toss with pastrami spice until evenly coated. Roast 8-10 minutes more until crispy at the edges. Toss with some sauerkraut juice.

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Butter the outside of the rye bread slices. Spread Russian dressing on the other side of each slice. Add 2 slices of cheese to one piece of bread. Top with a thick layer of warmed sauerkraut. Add the pastramispiced roasted mushrooms on top of the sauerkraut. Place 2 more slices of cheese on top, then top with a slice of buttered eye bread, buttered side out. Heat a cast iron or other heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Add the sandwich and press with another pan or a sandwich press. Once the bottom bread is well browned, flip the sandwich to toast the other side. Transfer the sandwiches to a sheet pan and place in the oven. Cook until

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the cheese is melted and the sandwich is warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Cut in half and serve with more Russian dressing for dipping. *A note about pastrami spice: you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find this readily available in stores, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to make yourself with spices you might already have in your cupboard. A simple version would be equal parts black pepper, coriander, and paprika. For a more complex flavor, add smaller amounts to taste of celery seed, dill seed and mace. If using whole spices, toast them over medium-low heat in a heavy bottomed pan until fragrant, then cool and grind them.

blackkat l handcrafted, handstitche BY MARILYNN TURNER WINTER CAPLANSON PHOTOS

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leather: ed, and made to last a lifetime CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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drew archer doesn’t say much, but he doesn’t need to. his work tells you all you need to know.

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And although he refers to himself as a leatherworker, some call this 30-year-old craftsman and entrepreneur “The Leather Dude in Chester,” where he owns Blackkat Leather, named after a beloved pet, at 36 Main Street in the heart of the village. A self-taught artisan, Archer said he went to college for construction management and was working in California, flying back and forth to his home in Connecticut. He tells

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people are willing to spen they’re getting a g

”

the story of seeing a leather bag in a magazine he was reading on the plane, tearing the page out, and saving it. Upon his return to California, he went to a neighborhood leather craft store and asked the owner how to make the bag in the photo. “The first thing I needed to do was make a pattern,” said Archer. “I used to do a lot of furniture woodworking. Furniture making is what I grew up doing, my dad’s

a carpenter, and we had a big wood shop. Working with my hands is second nature, and leatherwork is like using a pattern to create shapes.” Archer explains that things, as they often do, grew from there: “That’s not to say that my first bag was anything good, but, then I started making bags for people I worked with, I really got interested in it, and I started making wallets, too,” he explains. “Soon we were doing craft

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nd money if they feel good product.

shows in California while I was still working. There was significant interest out there, and people had so much money in Silicon Valley that I guess a bag for $200 to $300 was quite a deal for them.” Eventually, Archer quit his job in California, and he and his wife Cassie moved to Connecticut. “I didn’t have

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any luck finding another construction engineering job; initially I just did arts and craft shows, I did that for a full year, 16 shows in a year, and we really did well, just doing shows,” he said. “And then the second year, I rented studio space here in Chester, just to test the waters while I was still doing shows. It became too much to do both, so in January 2018, I moved into this space.” The tricky part about being self-taught,

he said, is improving upon your work. “If you’re going to sell a bag for two to three hundred bucks, it needs to look the part. I think my skills are a lot better now, and the work speaks for itself. People are willing to spend money if they feel they’re getting a good product.” “I like making things and building stuff with my hands,” he added. “I don’t think leatherwork is a passion that I ever thought I would get into, it just became an easier way to sell art. If I ever have a chance to make furniture and sell it and be successful at it, I would do that too.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

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“

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ude in chester.'”

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Pausing, he said: “Before making bags I was never into fashion or following trends and stuff like that, or even looking at a purse. I had no interest,” he said. “And now when I’m out I’m always looking at peoples purses and designs.”

“Details are the key to everything,” he added.

Archer said that he also likes making duffles and other, more complex bags. Pointing to a briefcase with disappearing handles and lined pockets, he said: “Making something for the first couple of times is really cool, and this was really challenging because there are a lot of pieces involved.”

His workshop is part of his retail store, and you can watch him at his craft, while Annabelle - his three and a halfyear-old pit boxer rescue - sleeps in the corner.

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In addition to handbags, briefcases and duffle bags, he also makes belts, keychains, dog collars, and leashes.

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blackkat leather is located at 36 Main Street in Chester, open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am until 2 pm.

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“SOUL SHINE” BY LISA STONE KIM

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The Butter

MOOvement: Buttercup Farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Small Batch Butter

by Diana Busque Winter Caplanson photos

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I was in my early twenties when I visited Normandy,

France.

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There I sat, perched high above a seemingly endless sea at Le Mont St. Michel, a French monastery on an island at the mouth of the Couesnon River. With the crisp, salty sea breeze running over my skin and a baguette in hand from a local boulangerie topped with the most divine brie and butter I’d ever tasted, I took one bite and this moment was deeply imprinted within my mind’s photographic lens. Timeless. The first time I tasted Buttercup Farms’ “small batch butter,” my palate took a journey back to that day in Northern France. Europeans have been perfecting the art of churning butter for centuries and they’re known for it. Megan Johnson, the owner of Buttercup Farm in Lisbon, Connecticut has

also spent the better part of her life perfecting the art of butter making...and it all started with Buttercup, her first Guernsey Cow. Years ago, while suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, Megan became fed up with all the medications she was being prescribed that never seemed to alleviate her constant pain. She began researching the health benefits of raw milk, versus the pasteurized version we usually see. Pasteurization heats raw milk to a temperature so high that it kills all bacteria, including those strains which may be beneficial, and the internet is filled with reports of the benefits of raw milk. Megan credits raw milk with helping her to heal from chronic rheumatoid arthritis, and so her dairy journey began.

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"Butter - something that seems so simple - turns out to be so deliciously complicated.â&#x20AC;?

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In 2006, with Buttercup by her side, Megan learned the ins and outs of becoming a milkmaid. Before long, she had eight beautiful cows, five goats, and a pint-sized farm hand named “Mack”, short for Mackenzie - her two-year-old daughter. Megan began making butter in her kitchen for herself, and has since perfected her techniques and recipes; she now sells her small-batch butter alongside her raw cow’s milk. Megan Johnson is one of only a handful of farmers in Connecticut who still makes and sells smallbatch butter. Butter - something that seems so simple - turns out to be so deliciously complicated: in the United

"Megan Johnson is one of only a handful of farmers in Connecticut who still makes and

sells smallbatch butter.”

States, the butterfat percentage needs to be 80% or above in order to be considered butter. In Europe, there is a higher standard of 82%, which is why European butter is much creamier, with a higher smoke point. One of the first things I noticed while visiting Buttercup Farm was that the bottles of milk in the cooler had a thick layer of delicious cream at the top - an obvious indication that the cows are churning out “la creme de la creme.” Most of Megan’s cows are Jerseys, known for their high dairy fat content. There was a definitive reason the taste of Buttercup’s butter brought me back to that day in France, so many years ago. 104

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Much like the “terroir” of a fine wine, the flavor of grass-fed cows’ dairy products also changes with the seasons, the climate, and ultimately their pasture. When visiting Buttercup Farm, anyone can

"Megan has thoughtfully named each cow, gives them plenty of love and affection, and she makes every batch of butter herself, hand-packing each container.” see why their dairy products taste so remarkable: those cows have endless acres of beautiful lush green pasture to graze upon. Grass-fed dairy products are something the Amish have known about for centuries, yet it’s something you can’t always be lucky enough to find at your local grocery store, and Buttercup Farm offers a truly unique product. Megan has thoughtfully named each cow, gives them plenty of love and affection, and she makes every batch of butter herself, hand-packing each container. Most days on the farm start out as the sun just begins to touch the giant silo that overlooks the cows’ pasture. Megan does various chores around the farm, milks the cows twice a day, feeds all the animals, and personally makes deliveries to regional stores and farm stands around the state to distribute her raw milk and butter, all with little “Mack” in tow. She’s recently begun offering other services at the farm, such as “calf snuggles” under a cozy chateau, and “cow CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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"Megan has found a way to provide

the public with superior quality butter, churned the old fashioned way, while

quirky sense of humor muddy boots intact.â&#x20AC;?

keeping her

and

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selfie day.â&#x20AC;? Megan has a knack for continually coming up with fresh and exciting ideas for her dairy products (such as honey butter), as well as ways for everyone to have fun on the farm - especially the cows. In a technologically advanced world, where you can pick up a smartphone and order your groceries for pickup or delivery, Buttercup

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Farm has taken concepts from a simpler time, bringing premium-quality dairy to Connecticutâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketplace, and restoring an important connection between consumers and the foods we cherish. Megan has found a way to provide the public with superior quality butter, churned the old fashioned way, while keeping her quirky sense of humor and muddy boots intact.

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Buttercup Farm’s dairy products can currently be found at the following locations: • Wildowsky Farm Stand, 20 Nygren Road, Lisbon, CT • Coventry Farmer’s Market, Coventry, CT *

*Sundays 11-2, June - October

• Cold Spring Farm Stand, Colchester, CT • Flemings, Stonington, CT • Flemings, Preston, CT • Harvest Moon, Putnam, CT • Melzen’s, Glastonbury, CT • JT Farm, Ellington, CT • Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm, CT • Agway, Plainfield, CT • Sweet Peas, Brooklyn, CT Be sure to check out Buttercup Farm’s Facebook page and send Megan a message if you’re interested in trying her products or bringing them to your store, farm stand, or restaurant!

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Compound Butter Two Ways Combine farmstead butter with other ingredients to make a compound butter, which can be used as a spread or on top of cooked meat, vegetables or fish. Store in the refrigerator or roll into a log in parchment or waxed paper, wrap in plastic film, slide into a freezer bag, and freeze. Chef Diana Busque shared two of her favorite récipes:

Sweet Whipped Orange Maple Compound Butter This sweet butter blend is the perfect marriage of citrus and maple to decorate your fall pancakes or to dress up a piece of warm crusty bread on a brisk day. INGREDIENTS: 1 c Buttercup Farm’s Unsalted Butter ¼ c Maple Syrup ⅓ c Dark Brown Sugar 2 T Orange Zest ¼ t Cardamom ¼ t Cinnamon ¼ t Nutmeg Pinch of Salt to taste (the salt counters the sweetness of the butter for a sweet little party on your tastebuds) 1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and use either a hand or a stand mixer to whip the ingredients until well combined. 2. Spoon compound butter mixture onto parchment or waxed paper and roll into a “log”. Twist off the ends to form a closed package. 3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and slice as needed or freeze for later use.

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Savory Garlic & Herb Menage a Trois Combining the holy trinity of Thanksgiving herbs, this compound butter will be sure to “wow” your guests. This butter is delicious when used to sauté either fish or steak, but performs especially well when rubbed under the skin of poultry before cooking. (Chef & Gardener Tip: Grow these herbs indoors on your windowsill for a steady supply of fresh herbs throughout the fall and winter seasons). INGREDIENTS: 1 c Buttercup Farm’s Pink Himalayan Salted Butter 6 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced 1 T Sage, finely chopped 1 T Rosemary, finely chopped 1 T Thyme, finely chopped ½ T Lemon Zest (optional) Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste 1. Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor to combine. 2. Spoon compound butter mixture onto parchment or waxed paper and roll into a “log.” Twist off the ends to form a closed package. 3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and slice as needed or freeze for later use. (Seriously, though: there will be none of this butter left to freeze. It’s that good!)

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best

“

It ’s the of both worlds: baking with confidence AND making

new creations!”

Kelly Clement

is the baker behind the desserts at Westport’s Jesup Hall as well as the artisan shortbread cookie company K is for Cookies where she uses organic ingredients to create unique flavor combinations.

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WINDOWSILL E H T

by Erica Buehler

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Å´ Laurie Bonneau photos

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Summer in New England is fresh basil

cooking is the enhanced flavor of your meals, people also use herbs for fragrance or medicinal reasons, and they come with a few other benefits as well. Sage, from the Latin Salvere meaning “to save,” is currently thought to have links to improvements in brain function and memory, and rosemary is shown to have anti-inflammatory qualities that

help suppress allergies and nasal congestion. Once you’ve decided on your herbs (the hardest part), you’ll want to select pots that are small enough for the size of the window where you will keep them and have adequate drainage. If your heart is set on a particular pot without drainage holes, consider

and tomato kebabs or rosemary and lemon-zested chicken; it’s the smell of lavender on a sunny Sunday morning or the savory taste of sage and brown butter sauce. If the hot summer sun is good for anything besides tanned skin and Vitamin D, it’s growing fresh herbs at home. But what’s a cook to do as fall approaches? Tend herbs indoors! As someone who has always wanted my own windowsill herb garden, I jumped at the opportunity to create one and opted for what many consider the main players in growing and cooking herbs: basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, and lavender. While the most obvious benefit of adding fresh herbs to your

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adding a layer of stone before your potting soil to create a similar effect. Pot size is also important for maintaining the size of your plants; if you plant basil in a pot that holds four or five cups of soil, it’s going to require much more water and that basil plant will be huge. You want to provide your herb plant with the ideal environment

“ Place herbs in a sunny window, preferably southern or southwestern-facing, that gets direct sunlight at least six hours a day.” to see it flourish – that (and a little love) is how the best herbs are grown. Once you have your preferred pot, get your soil (generic, live soil, nothing sandy). Slowly wiggle the herb plants from their plastic containers and gently brush away any excess soil to get the roots ready for re-planting. Add a two-tothree-inch base layer of soil, rounding out a spot for the plant, and gently place it in, and then begin filling soil in around it. Pack the soil firmly so the base of the plant is secure. Did you know that as you water plants, tiny bits of soil drain out the bottom

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of the pot leaving the plant to grab at whatever damp soil is left and the soil line will start to recede as the plant “pushes” itself upward? So after a few months, you’ll need to replenish the soil a bit. After planting, give your new herb plant a little water; it will be thirsty! Place it in a sunny window, preferably southern

buy a generic mint plant, but why not buy a chocolate mint plant, or three different kinds of lavender? On the Woodland Gardens website, you can find helpful tips and resources for planting your perfect garden. There are even subsections dedicated to growing herbs indoors and outdoors, how to store them, and feature

t will only be a matter of time before you can pick basil, yme, or rosemary from the convenience of your kitchen” or southwestern-facing, that gets direct sunlight at least six hours a day. According to Woodland Gardens of Manchester (a gardener’s dream) and Kathryn Keeley, MS of the University of Missouri: “rotate the pot every three to four days to ensure uniform growth of the plant.” Don’t forget: keep tabs on the surface of the soil and water whenever it feels dry. Be sure to cut your herbs back to prevent flowering when necessary. Woodland Gardens is an exceptional supplier of all things gardening, boasting five acres filled with every plant you could think of, beautifully handcrafted pots and décor, and all the gardening tools you would ever need. Plus, the ever-friendly staff is always ready to lend a hand and offer advice no matter the project. Woodland Gardens offers herbs yearround, with special varieties lasting particularly late into the season. Sure, you could

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simple, tasty recipes for putting your herbs to good use in the kitchen. Having such a large and wildly resourceful garden center is a gift for everyone from the first-time gardener to the green thumb gardenerextraordinaire. After your plant is potted and set in the sunniest window, it will only be a matter of time before you can pick basil, thyme, or rosemary from the convenience of your kitchen to cook with flare, or sprinkle some newly-grown lavender around the house for a garden-fresh scent. Perhaps your next stop at Woodland Gardens will have you picking lemongrass and cilantro, or something even more unique! Whatever your preference, the tools and teachers are close by and ready to help; the charming indoor herb garden you’ve always wanted is well within reach.

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“

Autumn carries

more gold in its pocket than all the

other seasons. - Jim Bishop

“STANDING OUT” BY LISA STONE KIM

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art hooked OF

THE

rugs BY LAURA MOOREHEAD

WINTER CAPLANSON PHOTOS

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rt is meant to be shared. According to the dictionary, “to share is to give or receive a part of something, or to enjoy or assume something in common: to share in another’s experiences.” That may be the perfect description of rug hooking at Whispering Hill Farm. As soon you walk though their doors you can feel the warmth of sharing. It’s in the smiles of the “hookers” working on the art of making their own heirlooms, as friendly chatter fills the room. It’s in the folds of the bolts of wool fabric along the walls, many of them handdyed using tried-and-true formulas. It’s in the equipment and patterns that mothers have given to daughters and neighbors to neighbors. At the center of it all is owner Donna Swanson and teacher/artist Joyce Digregorio, who are the heart and soul of sharing their skills, advice, and love of hooked rugs. Whispering Hill Farm is located just off scenic Route 169 in South Woodstock, Connecticut, so the drive along that beautiful roadway is a prelude to what you will find when you arrive. Donna’s shop is situated in the middle of rolling fields that once supported her husband’s Jersey cow farm. Housed in an antique red farm house, every corner of the shop is filled with fun and color. Look up and you’ll see antique sewing machines. Open a drawer and find just the right tool for your latest

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"HOUSED IN AN ANTIQUE RED FARM HOUSE, EVERY

CORNER OF

THE SHOP IS FILLED WITH FUN AND COLOr."

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project. Turn a corner and you’ll find a hand-made basket of yarn. Every step you take seems to be cushioned by another wonderful hooked rug from Donna’s hands. How many times over her 25-plus years in business has she heard “I’m afraid to step on them?” More than she can count, but her answer is always the same: “That’s what they are made for.” And they are made to last. These are heirlooms that will be shared, handed down through generations, so everything in the shop is selected for its durability. The earliest rugs weren’t quite so durable. Hooking as we know it today was started here in New England by sailors looking to occupy themselves during long voyages. Homemakers picked up the craft and used feed bags as backers - and strips of wool from worn-out clothing - to mimic the expensive rugs found in well-to-do homes. In the 1930’s, Pearl McGown arrived on the scene. Pearl gained a love of hooking as a child; as an adult, she saw interest in the craft waning, and became a fierce advocate for bringing hooking back into fashion. She created her own patterns, wrote books, developed new techniques, ran workshops, and trained teachers. There are numerous stories of how she used the art as a way to empower the downtrodden by visiting prisons, hospitals, and working with the Red Cross during the war. In 1951, Pearl started the McGown Teachers Workshop where hookers could learn, share their knowledge, and pass along their talents to the next generation.

"HOOKING AS WE STARTED HE

THEMSELVES DUR 152

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E KNOW IT TODAY WAS ERE IN NEW ENGLAND BY

AILORS LOOKING TO OCCUPY RING LONG VOYAGES.

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Donna is proud to have studied directly with Pearl. Joyce, too, is a McGown Teacher which makes Whispering Hill Farm special indeed, since it houses two teachers with that wellrespected, significant designation. In addition, one of them is an artist who can draw patterns! It truly is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves hooking or who wants to begin. How easy is it to learn? Joyce confirms that she can have you hooking in one simple class. She’ll help you determine your color palette (everyone has their own), set you up with the proper equipment and a simple pattern, and demonstrate how to cut strips of wool and attach them to a linen backer. From there it’s a lifetime of learning, enjoying and sharing. Whispering Hill offers classes, workshops, hook-ins, yarn sales, and guild gatherings to help you continue to grow. If you’re lucky enough to stop by Whispering Hill on a day when they are having a “hookin,” take time to sit and listen. You might hear

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"wHEN YOU

ARE WORKING ON A

rug

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yOU

LEAVE EVERYTHING ELSE

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bEHIND."

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"IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO A DAY WHEN THEY ARE HAVING

SIT AND LISTEN."

a story about the woman sitting next to you who is working on a rug mounted on the same frame her mother used, using her mother’s fabric. She can tell you the exact date she started hooking because it was the date of her mother’s birthday. She came to Whispering Hill after she had lost her mother earlier in the year because she knew her mother’s friends hooked there and she needed some healing. Or you might see two friends sitting next to one another and learn that they had been friends in high school. After they married they drifted apart but, 40 years later, they saw one another across a craft table at the Woodstock Fair and have been crafting and hooking rugs together ever since. Another might tell of how she visited Ohio and walked into a rug hooking shop and was immediately welcomed into one of their gatherings which led to a set of new friends. Hookers are a very friendly bunch and will gladly tell you a joke or two about their moniker.

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STOP BY WHISPERING HILL ON A “HOOK-IN,” TAKE TIME TO

There are myriad reasons why people take up the art of hooking. It is a skill that bucks the current trend of instant gratification. After all, heirlooms should take time. They are a piece of you that you are sharing with the world so there is no need to rush or meet any deadline. As any hooker will tell you, when you are working on a rug you leave everything else behind. It’s relaxing, enjoyable, fun, and if you happen to be sitting with your hooking friends while doing it, it’s a community experience. A tradition of sharing, relaxing and creating? At Whispering Hill Farm, they remember and they’re passing it along, artfully and with love.

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"EVERY STEP

YOU tAKE SEEMS TO BE CUSHIONED BY ANOTHER

wONDERFUL HOOKED RUG FROM

DONNAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

hANDS."

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Sipping Autumn:

MULLED WINE

BY RANDI BAYNE â&#x20AC;¢ WINT ER CAPLANSON PHOTOS

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utumn is upon us and so are the chilly days perfect for comfy sweaters and a cozy drinks like mulled wine. This traditional holiday sipper is nostalgic as chestnuts roasting on an open fire. And best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to make. Despite considering myself an avid wine lover, I have to admit I’d never tried mulled wine until recently. However, I can officially say that not only do I love it, I plan on making it - all thanks to Connecticut Bartender and Spirit Guide Dustin Amore. Dustin’s career is full of executing flare and handcrafted cocktails. The former manager of eternally beloved The Cook and the Bear, he has worked alongside some of the best in the industry. Dustin was also nominated for Hartford Magazine’s Best of Bartender for 2019. This Army veteran has a love for Rum, Tiki cocktails and fire (if you head over to his Instagram, you’ll see exactly what I mean), so I was not surprised that he would come up with an innovative method for making mulled wine. Many people have a French press lying around at home and would have never thought of using it to mull wine, self included. You don’t have to buy any special equipment, or bust out that giant crock pot to make it. We meet at Millwright’s Tavern, Chef Tyler Anderson’s first restaurant set in an incredible 17th century hops mill in the heart of Simsbury, Connecticut. This award-winning restaurant pays homage to strong New England traditions, using locally sourced and grown ingredients in their from-scratch kitchen. My gut told me Dustin would be putting his own exciting twist on your standard mulled wine recipe when he broke out the French press. As part of the Cook & the Bear team, and currently with High George in New Haven (Another Chef Tyler masterpiece), innovation is the

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“Another of Dustin’s secrets:

adding cog

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gnac after the mulling process.â&#x20AC;?

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standard. Once I saw the bottle of Hella Apple Blossom Bitters, I was completely intrigued. These bitters are a beautiful combination of subtle floral and young woodsy notes, similar to ripping open a young tree branch still tender and green on the inside. It has some layers of baking spices and not-overwhelming unripened apple notes. And then there’s cardamom, a truly dynamic spice, bringing out deep earthy notes in the wine. The spice also adds a chai-like complexity, but doesn’t complete with the wine. Dustin wants to play up the acidity and citrus notes, so he uses fresh lemon peel: “you can also use

blood orange or grapefruit if you can find a wine that pairs well with it.” Let’s chat about the star of the show: the wine. Dustin showcased a 2013 Spanish Rioja Reserva from Ramirez de la Piscina for this recipe, but feel free to roam the wine racks. Dustin recommends also using a merlot or even a Pinot Noir. And you don’t have to break the bank, either: this recipe is a great way to use up those half-bottles from Sunday. All of this is poured into the French press to filter out the spices. What is left by far exceeds anything I would’ve imagined mulled wine to

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taste like. It’s complex, not too sweet (thanks to the elderflower honey Dustin uses to sweeten the wine) and has spices that enhance, rather than cover up, the bold Rioja flavor notes. Another of Dustin’s secrets: adding cognac after the mulling process. “This adds some of the alcohol that was burned off and preserves the intense flavor profile of the cognac,” he notes.

As a bourbon and wine lover, this drink soothed my soul. I always feel I have to choose either wine or bourbon; now, thanks to Dustin’s exceptional creation, I can luxuriate in the best of both worlds. This drink definitely deserves a slow clap.

an o

pen f i re.”

We move on to the iced cocktail recipe. You can either use the leftover mulled wine or make a new batch and let it cool. Dustin pulls out a handful of something from his bag of tricks: “I have some fresh picked cherries we can use

in the iced cocktail.” He then hand-seeds and chops the cherries before adding to the shaker; he muddles the cherries very vigorously and builds the cocktail with the wine and bourbon. Instead of honey, orange liqueur sweetens the cocktail and some freshly squeezed lemon juice perfects this well-balanced libation.

i s n o st algic as chestnuts roasting on CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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Dustin is currently helping to open SquarePeg Pizzeria with Chef Tyler and the crew. He could neither confirm nor deny if a mulled wine cocktail would be on the menu, but he is very excited for this new venture and that was clear by the huge smile on his face. “There’s going to be a big focus on fun. The drink menu will be well-crafted, but approachable.”

When Dustin isn’t behind the bar, or creating beautiful havoc with Chef Tyler and his crew, you can find him competing in United States Bartenders Guild competitions. Dustin loves pushing himself and uses these as a way to master his craft: “It’s not that I’m better than others, it’s that I’m better than I was yesterday.”

RECIPES: MULLED WINE 5 oz Red wine 0.5 oz Honey 1 Dash apple blossom bitters 2 Lemon peel slices 2 Cloves 1 Cinnamon stick ¼ tsp Allspice 2 Cardamom pods 1 Star anise 3 grates of fresh nutmeg 0.5 oz Cognac DIRECTIONS Heat wine on medium heat until steaming. Pour into French press immediately after heated. Add, remaining ingredients to French press EXCEPT cognac. Let steep for 10 minutes. Press wine to strain ingredients and pour into glass of your choice. Finish with cognac.

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MULLED WINE COCKTAIL

PORTED MULLED WINE

5 Fresh cherries, de-seeded 0.5 oz Bourbon 0.5 oz Orange liqueur 5 oz Mulled wine 0.25 oz Fresh lemon juice Ice

2 oz Port 5 oz Red wine 0.75 oz Brown sugar simple syrup 1 Cinnamon stick 3 Grates of fresh nutmeg 3 Cloves ½ tsp Orange zest

DIRECTIONS Muddle cherries in bottom of shaker. Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with fresh lemon peel. You can also squeeze essence of lemon peel into cocktail.

DIRECTIONS Heat wine on medium heat until steaming. Pour into French press immediately after heated. Add, remaining ingredients to French press EXCEPT port. Let steep for 10 minutes. Press wine to strain ingredients and pour into glass of your choice. Finish with port. Garnish with orange peel.

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H e r ba l

s alT by CHEF CARLOS PEREZ LISA NICHOLS photos

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HERBAL SALTS ARE EASY TO MAKE, PERFECT FOR GIFT GIVING, and offer a time-saving way to add flavor to any dish. In the same repertoire as skills like canning and freezing, preservation by salting is a centuries old technique. Homemade herbal salts preserve the vivid flavor of fresh herbs for use when they are out of season. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of herbs remaining in the garden and markets to make your own herbal salt blends. When making herbal salts, there are two main variations, depending on whether you use fresh or dried herbs. The main premise for both methods is not only infusing the salt itself, but preserving the flavor and the actual herbs in the process. In order to preserve them, they must be rid of any moisture. Drying the herbs ahead of time, prior to blending with the salt, gives them a longer shelf life - and with the use of a dehydrator the entire process can be done in a day. If you opt for blending fresh herbs, the process can take about two weeks and requires refrigeration, but you’ll end up with powerhouse flavor. Either way, herbal salts are key: for seasoning, marinating, or as a finishing touch, in so many different varieties and combinations. Rub it on steak, sprinkle it in stews, or shake it onto chicken before roasting. Seasoning with herbal salt is an easy way to elevate the flavors of any dish.

For both methods, I recommend a ratio of 1 part sea salt or Kosher salt to 1 part herbs, dried or fresh; plus any additional flavorings like fresh or dried lemon peel, garlic, or chilies.

Method One

DRIED HERB SALT

Process: 5 minutes Shelf Life: 2+ years, stored at room temperature

Procedure when using dry herbs: 1. Begin by removing any stems and giving the herbs a fine chop. 2. Blend the chopped herbs, any additional dry flavorings, and the salt in a food processor until evenly dispersed. The mixture is now ready to be used, or jarred as a pantry staple.

“Preservation by salting is a centuries old technique”

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Method Two

FRESH HERB SALT OR HERBES SALEE Process: 2 weeks Shelf Life: 6 months, refrigerated

Procedure when using fresh herbs: 1. Begin by removing any stems and giving the herbs a fine chop. 2. Blend the chopped herbs, any additional flavorings, and the salt in a food processor until evenly dispersed. 3. Pack the salt mixture into sterilized jars. 4. Close the jar and place in the refrigerator for 14 days. 5. After 14 days, open, and drain the excess liquid. The mixture can now be used and will keep for up to 6 months stored in the refrigerator. Now, the fun part: improvising on the basic formula by creating your own mix of herbs! Try making a classic herbal salt with pungent rosemary, sage, and garlic like that used in Northern Italy. Thyme, rosemary, and savory with a touch of lavender will

make a lovely Provencal herbal salt. Herbs that are sturdy and resinous, like savory, oregano, and marjoram, work best; fragile herbs like dill, chervil, and cilantro won’t hold up as well. Here’s the recipe for my signature herbal salt blend:

CHEF CARLOS’S CLASSIC BLEND

This can be made using either fresh or dried herbs following the procedures above. 1/2 C Sea salt 1 Tb Thyme 1 Tb Oregano 1 Tb Marjoram 1 Tb Basil 1 Tb Parsley 1 Tb Rosemary 1 Tb Minced garlic 1/2 Tb Grated lemon peel 1/2 Tb Red chili flake

“Rub it on steak, sprinkle it in stews, or shake it onto chicken before roasting.”

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now is the perfect time to take advan garden and markets t

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ntage of herbs remaining in the to make your own herbal salt blends.â&#x20AC;?

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The Evolution of t he mod ern

mmil i l k man by amy S. white

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s s a l G K at i e P i n e t t e photos

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dressed all in white (including his signature cap), delivering glass bottles filled with frothy fresh milk straight to your doorstep. While that seems far from our technologydriven, big-box store world, the fact is, people, especially foodies, are yearning for such things of the past. Farmers’ markets, pop-up farm dinners, and farm-to-table restaurants abound. Eating local is the newagain norm. And Ellington’s Oakridge Dairy Farm is bringing back the milkman. It all started in 1890, when Adolf Bahler moved from the midwest to Connecticut to escape a drought. On a small, 12-acre farm in Ellington, he raised cows and grew typical New England cash crops: tobacco and potatoes. He built a house and with his wife raised two sons who helped run the farm; they bought some additional land and used it for dairy farming. In fact, by 1930, Ellington was known as the “milkiest mile in America;” the tiny rural town had more than forty-five dairy farms, including the Bahlers’. By 1960, more Bahler family members became involved in the farm and they decided to shift the farm’s focus solely toward dairy. Their state-of-the-art facility was big enough for two hundred CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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cows, a huge number at the time. Seth Bahler, Adolf’s great-great-grandson, says the farm had become so big that his grandfather “would be up pacing the floors at night, wondering if it would ever work.” It did work. The farm did more than survive; it won awards. The Bahlers became leaders in the industry, with their cows producing three times the amount of milk of the average American farmer’s. Farming has its ups and downs, though, and years later the farm faced uncertainty. Would the next generation want to dedicate their lives to dairy? Luckily, they did. In 2015, with Seth at the helm, the Bahlers restructured the business. He says, “We want to be here another fifty years, at least.” They took a tour of dozens of dairy farms across the country, looking at different

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models. They reexamined their location. They studied the demographics. They recognized the importance of local food to the people of their community. And they took dairy farming to a whole new level. Today, the fifth-generation, family-owned Oakridge Dairy Farm is the largest dairy in the state. Their 316,000-square foot facility was built with three things in mind: year-round cow comfort, efficiency, and sustainability. They have about 2,800 Holstein cows on site; Seth fondly refers to them as “our girls.” The girls can do as they please, all day, every day, freely eating, drinking, sleeping, or socializing, as they are wont to do. The solarpaneled milking barn consists of 2,415 free stalls with crossventilated cooling, keeping the temperature at what the cows prefer, between 40-60 degrees.

Each day, their stalls are lined with fresh, clean recycled fiber bedding. Most importantly, the cows eat feed that the family has planted, grown and harvested on their own 3,000 acres of land. A professional nutritionist is brought in every week to adjust the feed with vitamins and minerals as needed. Further safeguarding the cows’ health, half of the staff who work directly with them have veterinarian degrees, and there is even a full-time cow pedicurist on staff. “Happy cows produce great milk,” Seth explains. “We want our cows to be happy so we give them what they want and need.” They also seem to be giving the people of Connecticut what they want and need, at least in terms of quality milk products. They call it “transparent dairy.” Without the use of any bovine growth hormones,

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Oakridge cows are producing 23,000 gallons of fresh milk every day. Using the latest high-tech equipment, the milk goes from the cow to the flash-cooling chiller to the semi-trailer milk tanker in three minutes. That means every six hours or so, they are sending out a tanker filled with the freshest possible milk: some to Guida’s for retail packaging and distributing, some to a cheese processing plant, and some they bottle for their latest venture, The Modern Milkman. People around town kept asking the Bahlers where they could buy Oakridge Dairy products. This inspired the family to develop their subscription service, The Modern Milkman, which began in January 2019. This true farmto-table home delivery service offers customers exactly what they are looking for these days: the convenience of home delivery, the ease of online ordering, the eco-friendliness of reusable glass bottles, and the benefit of customization. Customers go to the website, choose either a full or half share, tailor it to their liking, and once a week, the milkman delivers their products in an insulated box that was packaged that very morning, quite literally from parlor to porch. Unlike the old days, however, these boxes don’t just contain milk. The Bahlers strive to build strong partnerships with other community farms and businesses. Seth emphasizes, “We believe that for a healthy local economy, all farms are important. We all need each other. Larger farms can help smaller farms and we like to do that.” Therefore, in addition to Oakridge milk, a Modern Milkman box can contain eggs from a partnering farm, artisan cheese and butter from a neighboring creamery, seasonal yogurt or cottage cheese dips, and even baked goods from Ellington’s own LuAnn’s Bakery. If a customer doesn’t need their products on any given week, the subscription can be paused or the box can be donated to a family in need through the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry. While the service is currently only available in towns that directly border Ellington, its success thus far ensures its expansion.

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Over the past 130 years, Oakridge Dairy has evolved from a small farm where everything was done by hand to the largest, most technologically advanced dairy farm in the state. In life and especially in business, adaptation is the best means to success. The Bahlers have adapted their business not only to survive but also to thrive. Yet it seems the true heart of this family-owned business remains the same: old-fashioned farming and service to meet the needs of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dairy consumer. And that includes reviving the iconic milkman white cap and all for a new generation.

Oakridge Dairy Farm

is located at 75 Jobs Hill Road in Ellington. They can be found online at oakridgedairy.com and modernmilkman.com as well as on Facebook and Instagram. Throughout the year, Oakridge hosts tours, educational events, field trips and other programs. See their website for more information.

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” . r e magic hou - Victoria Erickson

“AUTUMN GLORY AT HUBBARD PARK” BY LISA STONE KIM

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making wine in hartfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own backyard:

a tradition of home winemaking in by Maureen Macdonald

Photos by Christopher Fox 196

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ith the fall season underway, many local producers, from commercial farms to backyard garden enthusiasts, will begin savoring their harvest bounties. The thought and care that is devoted to cultivating the seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crop is then transferred into processing techniques from canning and pickling, to wine making. Wait, wine making? Many Connecticut farmers have chosen the path of fermentation as a means of enjoying and diversifying their agricultural yields. The tradition of home winemaking is flourishing in Connecticut, with wine made from berries, grapes, and even backyard tomatoes. Growers are finding that if it grows and has some sugar content, through some light chemistry, they can craft a wine out of anything in their garden. While some stick to the traditional winemaking fruits, such as berries, stone fruits, apples, and wild grapes, a new generation of home winemakers are making impressive, high-quality wines with grapes from around the world. Many home winemaking traditions are based on inherited knowledge that has been passed down in families via demonstration and an oral tradition that most commonly dates back to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;old country:â&#x20AC;? Ancestors brought their winemaking knowledge and traditions with them to America, and subsequent generations have expanded the process. If winemakers are making these high quality wines, then where to the grapes come from? While some people may have access to backyard grapes or local vineyards, most home winemakers and even

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home winemaking

“the tradition of is flourishing in connecticut, with wine made from berries, grapes, and even backyard tomatoes.” CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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some commercial wineries source premium winemaking grapes from all over the globe, with the help of a company in Hartford’s Regional Market. Musto Wine Grape has been sourcing wine grapes for home winemakers for over 60 years, based out of Hartford’s sprawling Regional Farm Market. The company’s founder, Pasquale Musto, began sourcing wine grapes for the Italian American community in Connecticut in 1952. Musto started by bringing in train cars of grapes to Waterbury and quickly found an emerging market amongst the European immigrants settled in New England. Every

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culture in Europe seemed to have their own unique and special wine “recipe.” He relocated the business to a larger and more central location in Hartford in 1968 and began to diversify his grape offerings with Alicante, Zinfandel, Barbera, Grenache, Carignane, and Muscat. Customers flocked to the market year after year to purchase their wine grapes from the Musto family, and still do. Today, his son Frank and granddaughter Christina have further expanded it from Pasquale’s original six varieties of grapes. They now source grapes from Italy, Chile, South Africa, and Argentina, and own vineyards directly outside of Napa.

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“Ancestors brought their winemaking knowledge and traditions with them to America, and subsequent generations have expanded the process.”

Frank Musto saw the enormous potential for expansion into premium grape offerings to fulfill his consumers’ demands. As in any industry, technology and processes have evolved over time and he saw more technical winemakers coming to him for grapes. Christina Musto has further diversified the company with an emphasis on education, offering a myriad of classes and hosting guest lecturers for the customers to meet. “We had numerous customers come to us with their favorite bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet, and say ‘Help me make this caliber wine.’ Their palates had grown more complex over the years and their winemaking endeavors followed suit. Our investment into

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Suisun Valley helped us to bring high-quality grapes to our customers, and we see quality improvements made every year by our growers. Everyone’s passion is growing together, from our farmers to our home winemakers. We are all excited to produce quality wines at home.” The home winemaking tradition is alive and well in Connecticut due to the Musto family’s proliferation of high-quality wine grapes. Wine enthusiasts can source almost any varietal they would like, from a number of different geographical regions. Younger generations are building upon their inherited knowledge, often still using traditional techniques with

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“Gleaning bits and pieces of both equipment and information from their fathers and grandfathers, the friends started their first batch of wine.” higher-quality grapes and ingredients, such as specialized yeast. Francesco Sala followed this path; twelve years ago, Sala and friends Rome Santilli and Marco Saccuzzo discussed their mutual families’ traditions of winemaking and decided to try it on their own. Gleaning bits and pieces of both equipment and information from their fathers and grandfathers, the friends started their first batch of wine. Twelve years later, they’ve greatly expanded the process, using premium winemaking grapes from California and cultured yeast strains designed for their particular varietals, and involving their children and friends. The grape processing day turns into a big party, starting early with picking up their grapes at Musto Wine Grape in Hartford, and then back to the house to set up and begin processing. Friends and family alike help with processing the fruit into a crusher-destemmer machine and take an interest in how they have improved upon longstanding family traditions. Of course, no celebration is complete without savoring some wine from previous years’ efforts along with a feast of Italian delicacies.

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“if you are feeling adventurous, perhaps you will also create a family tradition of

making wine at home.”

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“For us, it’s not about the wine, the wine is just something to share,” he explains. “It’s about getting everyone together, sharing good laughs and of course eating good food. If you join us when we get together for wine making, you will find arrosticini, olives, cheeses, sausage, soppressata, prosciutto and it goes on! A few friends are on the grill, some are crushing the grapes, some are cleaning the equipment, and everybody shares the work load. After all, the faster we take care of the wine the more time we have to eat and hang out!” Not only do many hands make light work, but the involvement of friends and younger generations helps to preserve an important piece of cultural history. These kinds of experiences and memories are invaluable to imparting a piece of cultural tradition to future generations, hopefully cultivating an appreciation not only for the wine itself, but for the process of making it. Next time you enjoy a bottle of wine in a restaurant or at home with loved ones, perhaps you will look at it with a slightly different perspective, contemplating the growers and makers of that vintage. And if you are feeling adventurous, perhaps you will also create a family tradition of making wine at home. After all, you can find premium ingredients right in Hartford’s own backyard, at the Regional Market.

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STORMING AREA TWO

YOU DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T HAVE TO TRAVEL

FAR TO FIND SOMETHING OUT

OF THIS WORLD...

by Kayla Hedman Katie Pinette photos

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Instead of planning a raid on Area 51 this fall, keep your travels within one day

and head over to Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford, Connecticut, where the 50th largest craft beer brand in the United States recently opened their $15 million addition, Area Two Experimental Brewing. After cofounders Brad Hittle, Clem Pellani, Peter Doering and Phil Markowski opened the flagship brewery in 2012, the conversation surrounding a second brewery to focus on sour beers and barrel-aging started four years later. The co-founders, together with the vision of Brian Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor of Neil Hauck Architects, broke ground on October 2017. The highly-anticipated Area Two opened to the public on March 11, 2019, and has since launched distribution of their beers in the Connecticut market. As one can probably put Two and Two together (pun intended!), Area Two is a play on the enigma of Area 51. The new brewery combines experimental brewing with timetested processes, plus a desire to be sustainable and support local agriculture.

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The most prominent feature of Area Two is a state-of-the-art, cathedrallike coolship, clad in mahogany with a dazzling metal roof, visible from the tasting room above. The coolship isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just form; it also performs a critical function. Inside the structure, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a large, flat pan that quickly and efficiently cools hot wort, which is the sugarcontaining liquid extracted from the mash-bill. Those sugars will ferment to produce alcohol, and the coolship negates the need for modern refrigeration. Coolships have been used for centuries, most CTFOODANDFARM.COM

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;AREA TWO IS A BREWERY OF BOUNDLESS EXPERIM

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F MENTATION.”

famously for Belgian lambics; today, there are roughly 100 active coolships across the United States. A coolship not only cools hot wort, but also allows wild and spontaneous fermentation to occur over several days. As vapor rises, the steam from the boiling wort condensates on the dual-arched douglas fir wood-paneled ceiling, and then drips back into the pan. Window slats in the side of the coolship building allow local microflora and airborne wild yeast to pass through to create a unique environment in the coolship to aid in fermentation. The coolship at Area Two was designed by Master Brewer and Co-founder Phil Markowski, who studied electrical engineering before exploring microbiology and brewing technology. His combined knowledge of tech and science is a tremendous asset to Two Roads, observed in his acute attention to detail and his creativity in the brewery’s infrastructure and the beers produced. “Area Two is a brewery of boundless experimentation,” noted Markowski. “We will continue to innovate, redefine and stretch the definition of beer.” The coolship must be used in more mild climates; ideal temperatures occur April through June, and again in September through November. The coolship has been used once so far, in May of 2019, and Markowski looks forward to getting more use out of it this fall. The first batch of the sour fermented base was removed from the coolship after two and a half days and put into rinsed red-wine barrels, where it will develop until later this fall.

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“WE WILL CONTINUE TO INNOVATE, REDEFINE AND STRETCH THE DEFINITION OF

BEER.” The majority of fermented bases at Area Two will be barrel-aged to achieve lambic-style ales, goses, and other sourstyle beers. Barrels have been acquired from distilleries, wineries, and other sources to age the beers in a breathable environment that keeps the cultures live and active. Area Two also has a collection of large wooden foudres [foo-druh], barrels with roots in winemaking that are now used for brewing sour beers. A Calvados foudre from Normandy, France, produced Calva, a crisp, lightly-soured brew with an apple bouquet and notes of brandy and pineapple with an oaky, dry finish. Calva is one of the ales available on tap at the tasting room, where bottles are 212

also for sale. The Calvados brandy foudre is now being utilized for a sour cherry ale. The two taller French Oak foudres hold Philsamic, a Flanders Red Ale with Balsamic Vinegar that should be ready near the end of the year. Soon, Urban Funk will start aging in the new concrete foudres made for Area Two by Sonoma Cast Stone; the concrete tanks will supply mineral notes to this wild ale, and will prevent excess evaporation. As the beverage industry evolves, Area Two is also making their own alcoholic Kombuchas, ranging from a low-alcohol Japanese-style “Jun” with green tea and honey, to a 4.5% original or 6.5% ABV barrel-aged sour-cherry rooibos tea Kombucha. CT FOOD & FARM / FALL 2019

“We are definitely not short on variety,” joked Markowski, referring to the 24 taps in the Area Two tasting room, which in July had 15 varieties on the menu, including Two Roads’ Tanker Truck series of goses (fermented in former milk tanker trucks just outside of Two Roads, another innovative idea from Markowski), their barrel-aged counterparts, and new Area Two releases.

Sustainable Practices & Supporting Local

Brad Hittle, CEO and Co-founder of Two Roads, discussed the future of the brewery and the importance of sustainability during a tour in late February 2019 before the grand opening. Two Roads and Area Two utilize Connecticut-grown ingredients whenever possible, sourced from local farms as well

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as their own 10 acres of property. Between the two breweries, they grow Cascade and Centennial hops, have a garden that features pollinator plants, and a small orchard where they grow sour cherries, elderberries, elderflowers, black currants, and young pawpaw trees. They harvest as much as possible to incorporate estategrown ingredients in their beers. The staff also cares for honey bees and are able to collect 150 pounds of honey from their hives per year. Now that construction on Area Two is complete, there are plans to add to the gardens and plant more fruit trees. In the spirit of sustainability, underground cisterns capture rain water used for irrigation. Area Two sources additional fruits, hops, wheat, and malt from various farms across the state. The Table Terroir house ale is 100% Connecticut-grown, and features captured yeasts from the Two Roads property, as well as malt from Thrall Family Malt. Thrall is a 12th generation family farm in South Windsor

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“TWO ROADS AND AREA TWO UTILIZE CONNECTICUT-GROWN INGREDIENTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE, SOURCED

FROM LOCAL FARMS AS WELL AS THEIR OWN 10 ACRES OF PROPERTY.”

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that is exploring growing malt as a way to diversify a historically tobacco-yielding farm. To better understand the local, airborne yeast and continuously improve upon the beers spontaneously fermented in the coolship, Area Two is working with scientists from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, as well as Thrall Family Farm, to capture wild yeast from the property. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re taking samples of yeast and bacteria in the coolship, before and after use, to see how the cultures develop from the local terroir. Hittle also noted that Area Two is working with a wetlands architect to create a park behind the building, which already maximizes outdoor space on a large rooftop patio and two levels of deck overlooking the woods. The plan is to restore one acre of wetlands. This will help remove invasive species of plants, control trash from the neighboring railroad, and construct walking trails and a suspended boardwalk where people can enjoy the outdoors and learn more about the landscape. The tasting room on the second floor of Area Two provides scenic views of the wetlands through floorto-ceiling windows. The design also brings the outdoors in through a wall of greenery behind the bar and recycled wood furnishings. The tabletops in the tasting room are made of black pine from an 1860s-era church in Westerly, Rhode Island; and the stools are made from 160-year-old tobacco barn wood to combine rustic and industrial finishes. Local art that depicts live bacteria found in some of

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the beers is colorfully illuminated on the walls near the coolers, where you can take home bottles or cans of your favorite beer. As you exit the Area Two tasting room via a second-story catwalk, it is a marvel to see all of the metal and concrete tanks, wooden foudres and stacked barrels below in which the beers’ characteristics are slowly defined. The vaulted wood ceiling overhead leaves visitors awestruck, especially during “golden hour” when light streams through the large windows before setting. “It’s like walking into a giant barrel,” said Markowski.

Visiting Area Two & Finding it Near You

Hittle notes the Two Roads/Area Two campus in Stratford is a great day-trip destination, as the two breweries are positioned a field apart from each other on the same side of the street. There’s always something to do or try: scheduled tours at each location; a total of three bars with over 40 taps in the tasting rooms; plenty of outdoor space for drinking al fresco, lounging in a hammock or playing lawn games; and enjoying delectable local meats and cheeses served in the tasting room, or fare from visiting food trucks and nearby restaurants. Seasonal events include Two Roads’ Oktoberfest and their Road Jam Concert in the summer. The company is known for diverging from what’s already been done in the industry and exploring a road not taken, so patrons can expect the unexpected. Craft beer fans, rejoice! Mid-July marked the launch of Area Two distribution across Connecticut. Initial releases from Area Two, available anywhere Two Roads is found, include the Synopsis series. This series of sour ales has a more extreme fruit profile with wood character. The first varieties, Prickly Pear and Black Currant, will be joined by others later this fall. Additional Area Twobranded cans to be released in the Connecticut market are the Persian Tequila Lime Gose and Passion Fruit Gose, the latter of which is aged in rum barrels. Fans should also look forward to a beer club at Area Two; members can expect to have exclusive access to special small batches of beers, including those incorporating fruits from the property. Area Two is located at 1526 Stratford Ave, Stratford, CT 06615, and open throughout the week: Sunday and Monday from 12 to 7 pm, and Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 9 pm. Tours are available on weekends for $5 per person, and include beer samples. Cans and bottles of Area Two beers are available for purchase; growlers are only available next door at Two Roads. Learn more about Area Two at tworoadsbrewing.com/areatwo.

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“...A GREAT DAY-TRIP DESTINATION...”

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Behind the Pages

our contributors

Randi Bayne, branding goddess and digital marketer/creative gal, is living that Somm life and enjoying every single adventure. Laurie Bonneau’s photography and writing are published in scientific journals, but as a photographer for Farm Aid, she makes a big difference in another way. Erica Buehler is currently navigating the Wild West, searching for the ultimate burrito and a place she can compulsively buy succulents (when she’s not writing). Diana Busque writer, chef, gardener, homesteading mama to 2 WILD boys, chickens, and a German shepherd is a lover of quiet moments.

Winter Caplanson’s niche is gorgeous

photography for marketing food and farm businesses, with a sixth sense for knowing what pictures best tell the stories of the local food movement to people who support it.

Kelly Clement is the baker behind the

desserts at Westport’s Jesup Hall as well as the artisan shortbread cookie company K is for Cookies where she uses organic ingredients to create unique flavor combinations.

Brenda De Los Santos, photographer, has

always considered herself to be a creative, and loves to cook and craft in her free time when she is not photographing people or weddings.

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Christopher Fox, a left-handed introvert

from Long Island, has a special love for film photography, and therefore incorporates analog formats into his photosets.

Gena Golas feels rejuvenated by crisp fall

air and the limitless possibilities for fall baking. Autumn is, for sure, her favorite season.

Kayla Hedman’s deep roots in southeastern

Connecticut inspire her writing, which captures the stories of local people and traditions.

Teresa Johnson is a wedding photographer

and grammar snob. When she’s not copy editing Connecticut Food and Farm, she can be found gardening, practicing archery with her husband, or herding their four mischievous cats.

Jennifer LaVoie is inspired by butter, wine

and a good book. Need there be more? Maybe not, but getting to write the stories of passionate brewers, entrepreneurs, farmers and more sure brings up a close second.

Maureen Macdonald is a professional winemaker who loves to cook, brew beer, and entertain friends, usually simultaneously. Her spare time is usually spent napping with Harvest, the cat. Carla McElroy loves to photograph people

doing the things they are most passionate about. She is happiest when there is also food involved.

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Laura Moorehead, after writing the hooked

rug article for this issue, rushed home and said to her husband “I want to learn how to hook rugs!” to which he replied “And when are you going to find time to do that?” Good point. She loves slowly easing into retirement at full speed ahead.

Lisa Nichols is a freelance photographer and owner of Bread & Beast Food Photographer. She especially enjoys getting to eat everything she photographs for her clients.

Carlos Perez, executive chef, focuses on a

refined farm to table cooking style. He is set to open Chez 180, a contemporary restaurant and patisserie, in Westport this fall.

Katie Pinette is always looking for an outdoor

photo adventure especially if it involves staying up late and watching the stars!

Rita Rivera, Connecticut Food and Farm’s

Graphic Designer, designed this issue while binge watching JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. She’s now on the fifth season.

Marilynn Turner is a lover of food, where it

comes from, how it’s made and of course eating it. She can’t wait to make her own fruit scrap vinegar.

Amy S. White is a teacher, writer and line cook in eastern CT. Although fall is her favorite food season, she severely detests all things pumpkin spice.

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